Y2K!
Throughout hip-hop history, New York has produced several of the biggest and most iconic female stars. A genuine breakout talent in her city’s abundant pool of drill artists, Bronx rap phenom Ice Spice earned the blessing of no less than Nicki Minaj after “Munch (Feelin’ U)” went from delightfully viral to utterly ubiquitous. Collabs with the Queen from Queens like “Princess Diana” put the outer-borough upstart in a rarefied space as she amassed other hits including “Gangsta Boo” and the Taylor Swift team-up “Karma.” Roughly two years after making such a strong first impression, Ice Spice looks to cement her place in the game with *Y2K!*. Named in honor of her January 1, 2000, birthdate, her debut album may not be materially that much longer than the preceding *Like..?* EP. Nonetheless, it augments her sonic world in exciting ways while maintaining the brash authenticity that got her to this point. Though perennial studio partner RIOTUSA remains at the production helm, the beat choices here skew darker and harder than one might expect. The dissonant rhythmic thump of “BB Belt” and menacing synth stabs of “Plenty Sun” soundtrack pointed and pithy verses intended to cut down the competition. Even though a handful of the titles may verge on the scatological, punchlines like “Spent 150 on some carats/That shit cray like them n\*\*\*\*s in Paris” keep songs like “Think U the Shit (Fart)” feeling sharp rather than sophomoric. The exclusive guest list here reflects her elite status, wrangling Travis Scott for the victorious “Oh Shhh…” and then Gunna for the badass team-up “Bitch I’m Packin’.”
The Bronx rapper’s full-length debut leans into a hard-nosed drill sound and features some of her most dynamic and abrasive bars to date.
Y2K attempts new Ice Spice angles but ultimately it results in underbaked effort.
Rapper Ice Spice’s debut album ‘Y2K!’ is promising but uneven. It's unlikely to slow her rapid ascent – read the NME review
Monotonous and broadly uninspiring production lets down the Bronx rapper’s debut
Following a wave of overlong albums, the cool, TikTokable concision of Ice Spice’s first full-length record feels effortlessly in control
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The US star’s subject matter is lightweight and this debut album only lasts 23 minutes, but funny, snotty lines abound and the music is often viscerally exciting
Ice Spice - Y2K! review: Please see very centre of the album art for a one word review
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